What Should the Eagles do with Nick Foles

The big question for the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason has been the question of what to do with Nick Foles. While the entire organization loves Foles and appreciates all the hard work he put in bringing the city of Philadelphia its’ first Super Bowl title, it is simply irrefutable that a healthy Carson Wentz is far more talented.

The Philadelphia Eagles previously exercised a $20.6 million option on Nick Foles, but the Super Bowl MVP had the option to opt out. Foles re-payed the team $2 million to opt out, so as of now, Foles will become a free agent come March. The only chance the Eagles have of getting anything back for the 30-year-old quarterback, is to use the franchise tag on him.

Yesterday, February 19, was the first day teams could place the franchise tag on players. The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to tag the Super Bowl MVP and then turn around and try to trade him. There are many teams that need quarterbacks that are expected to show interest in Foles. Some of those teams include the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins.

One thing we know for certain: the Philadelphia Eagles are not going to trade Foles to a division rival. The Redskins are clearly in need for a QB since Alex Smith went down with an injury and the Giants could easily move on from Eli Manning, but it seems more likely that the Eagles let Foles walk away in free agency than send him to a division rival.

That leaves the Jacksonville Jaguars and a trade with them certainly makes a lot of sense. The Jaguars clearly need a quarterback, and it has been reported from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo that there was “mutual interest” between the Eagles and Jaguars regarding a Nick Foles trade.

One trade rumor indicated that the Eagles may receive running back Leonard Fournette in exchange for the quarterback. This could be most enticing for the Eagles as it would provide the Eagles with a better LeGarrette-Blount-type running back. The only risk is Fournette’s health as he has proven to be relatively injury-prone.

While there is not a huge market of teams lining out the doors to trade for Foles, there are certainly some teams willing to talk. As we know, there are always surprises in the NFL, and there may be some other teams (maybe the Oakland Raiders) who could swoop in and trade for the Super Bowl MVP quarterback. For now, a trade for Fournette seems smartest for the Eagles.